Pros
From 2005 to 2008 (2008 - Enter "Mo" Era) everything about the site, company and people were great.
Cons
Con#1 Hire a CEO, currently making $700,000+ which includes his stock options of course, who is in it to win it. Regardless of how much you can make at the corporate level made, it was a corporate decision to cut pay at the lowest levels. Mechanics, who made the company the money because they did push the product out the door, were viewed as replaceable regardless of tenure and experience. They would rather run you out the door and find the next guy who would work for less with no experience and press upon the shop leads the importance of still producing the same level of production. Even though corporate paid minimal premiums on the finest medical benefits, it was once again a corporate decision to remove all reasonably priced medical plans away from reach of non-exempt employees (medical, dental and vision now costs a family of 4 over $1200 a month for decent coverage when they only make $14.17 / hr) - you do the math as to what that leaves each month to feed the family, hope their card board box is water proof, because that is what they might be able to afford. It was also a corporate decision as to how important education is...I agree. Then why would you tell people who you just cut their pay, increased medical premiums and then inform us that we may be required to obtain a degree to maintain our job take away tuition reimbursement?!?! It was stated in a large number of layoff notices recently that VSE is currently going through hard times and business is business, cuts will be made, costs will be reviewed and adjusted accordingly, but if a company is genuinely concerned about the financial stability of the future and protecting their primary stock holders (AKA board of directors) then why did none of the six figure, white collar A/C absorbent corporate decision makers not make a mild cut to their own situation. (Stupid Question?) Con#2 Open up shops all over the region and base the hiring off of the "Good-Ole-Boy" system. If you are a site manager, you know who you are hiring, literally. If you do not personally know who you are hiring then they were hired on by the guy you did hire. If nobody knows them then repression will be your challenge regardless of your experience and how long you struggle through the hard times the company will place before you. If you are a site manager then you will want plenty non-exempt employees that you can pawn off all of your responsibilities to and then sit there on the shop floor and stare at everyone, waiting for the one guy to take a thirty second breather in front of a fan after he just got done swinging a ten pound sledge trying to remove a rusted draw bar from a frame for thirty minutes so you send a lead down shop to micro-manage and counsel him because you are too busy to make spot on corrections yourself. I can continue with Con#2 but I am sure there is a maximum limit on this site. Con#3 Combine the lying and deceitful product of the first two cons and see what kind of answers you get to a simple question. Nothing you asked has a solid black and white solution. Everything is to be passed on to someone else, reviewed, sent to legal for clarification and maybe you will receive a response. If it does not take at least 4 business days then it did not follow the proper chain of command and is guaranteed a false statement. Every moral that VSE impresses upon all their employees is voided by an exempt employee who thinks they are above everything. Safety First - Quality Always, throw it out the window. Same thing with the Agility, Integrity...Do as I say, Not as i do.
